Life for an Iranian journalist is a constant struggle to watch every word. Khabarnagar No (New Reporter in Persian) explains:
I want to write, but I fear whatever I write can be considered as an offense in the eyes of a responsible or a Ministry. I say I am not writing about politics and I do not write about Orange or Velvet revolutions, I just write about technology and science. They (the authorities) say to be careful not to criticize privatization of Iranian telecoms, filtering of mobile phones, or science education. Just write everything is OK. When I choose a title for my article I should be careful that the title does not make the authorities angry. If I want to publish a photo, then I should cover the neck of foreign women in the photo, and create trousers or a skirt to cover her legs”¦ When we interview somebody, we should ask about the interviewee’s personal life to ascertain that she/he has not gone to disco or drunk champagne”¦ For these reasons a journalist’s life is very difficult in Iran. You can not plan anything for your life, and when your journal gets shut down you cannot pay rent. You should be careful not to go to conferences abroad because you can be accused of spying.